Conveyor for newspapers or similar articles



United States Patent 72] Inventor Bjorn Erland Bengt Birath Trangsund, Sweden [21 Appl. No. 724,524

[22] Filed April 26, 1968 [45 1 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 [73] Assignee AB Bonnierforetagen Stockholm, Sweden a corporation of Sweden [32] Priority April 28, 1967 [33] Sweden [54] CONVEYOR FOR NEWSPAPERS OR SIMILAR Primary ExaminerH. A. Kilby, Jr, Attorney0strolenk, Faber, Gerb & Soffen ABSTRACT: A device for stacking newspapers and other like signatures which are fed to the device in overlapping fashion. A gap in the signature stream is formed by rotating a pivotally mounted shovel member into an intercepting position with the signature stream in order to restrain the intercepted signature and signatures immediately behind the intercepted signature from being fed toward a stacking position. The shovel member, which is further mounted for reciprocating move- 'ment, is rapidly moved in the direction of signature flow at a rate faster than the signature stream to remove the shovel member from its intercepting and blocking position. The shovel member is then pivotally moved out of the engaged position and the reciprocally mounted carriage is returned to its normal position in readiness for intercepting the signature stream to form the next gap. The number of signatures between adjacent gaps is controlled by a sensing member which counts the inflow of signatures to the stacking device and automatically operates the shovel member and the carriage therefore.

The signature stream is fed to an outfeed conveyor section having reciprocally mounted blocking plates for preventing the movement of the signatures deposited thereon until all of the signatures between two adjacent gaps have been fed to the outfeed conveyor section. At this time the blocking plates are withdrawn from blocking the signature stack and substantially simultaneously therewith a kicker accelerates the signature bundle rapidly toward the downstream end of the outfeed conveyor. The kicker and reciprocally mounted blocking plates are abruptly reset to their initial position in readiness for dispensing the next signature bundle.

Patented Nov. 10, "1970 3,538,818

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Patented Nov. 10, 1970 f of 4 Sheet N lm my a. Y J 4 nm MUH CONVEYOR FOR NEWSPAPERS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES The present invention relates to stacking devices and more particularly to a novel stacking device for newspapers and other like signatures fed to the device in an overlapping fashion wherein means are provided for forming a gap in the signature stream automatically under control of the number of signatures desired per bundle and wherein the quantity of signatures comprising a single bundle is momentarily restrained within an outfeed conveyor section until the last signature of the bundle being formed is deposited therein, at which time the bundle is rapidly ejected from the outfeed section which automatically resets itself to restrain the initial incoming signatures of the next bundle until the last signature of the next bundle is deposited therein so as to repeat the operatron.

Newspapers and other like signatures are normally printed at very high rates of speed and are fed from a press to a facility wherein the signatures may be stacked in a predetermined quantity of signatures per bundle, after which the signatures are then wrapped or tied, typically to be loaded upon trucks for final distribution. Since the signatures may reach the aforesaid facility and be fed at the rate of 40,000 per hour, or greater, it becomes necessary to provide means for stacking and bundling the signatures at a rate which is at least as fast as the rate at which signatures are fed into the aforesaid facility in order to enable the printing presses to operate at high speeds and avoid the need for lowering the speed of the press due to possible speed limitations in the stacking and bundling operations. It is further important to be capable of providing stacking equipment which is capable of forming signature bundles of varying quantities as well as providing bundles of the exact count desired.

The present invention achieves all of the above objectives while retaining a simplicity of design not heretofore obtainable through conventional equipment.

The stacker of the present invention is comprised of an infeed section which receives signatures arranged in an overlapping stream and is provided with means for counting signatures as they pass through the infeed section. A stream divider is positioned behind the signature counting means and is comprised of a reciprocally mounted carriage supporting a pivotally movable shovel member. At a predetermined count, the shovel member is rotated downwardly to intercept the signature stream and block all signatures on the upstream side of the shovel member from moving downstream. Those signatures located toward the downstream side of the shovel member continue to be fed toward a bundle forming station where they are stacked into a bundle comprised of a predetermined number of signatures until the last signature to pass the shovel member reaches the bundle forming station.

As soon as a gap in the stream of a predetermined length is formed, the carriage member is moved in a downstream direction at a rate faster than the movement of the signature stream so as to remove the shovel member from the intercept position. As soon as the carriage reaches its downstream position the shovel member is rotated upwardly so as to be moved out of the path of the signature stream. The carriage is then moved to its upstream position in readiness for forming the next gap in the signature stream.

The reciprocally mounted restraining plates of the bundleforming section are normally held in the path of movement of the bundle to prevent the bundle from moving along the outfeed conveyor until the last signature of the bundle is delivered to the bundle-forming section. As soon as this occurs, the reciprocally mounted plates are moved out of the path of movement of the bundle and a kicker member is activated to abruptly move the bundle along the outfeed conveyor. The kicker member also accelerates the bundle so as to rapidly achieve conveyor speed. The reciprocally mounted plates are moved back to the blocking position as soon as the bundle being dispensed passes beyond the plates. The kicker is also moved to its initial position, placing both the kicker and the blocking plates in readiness for forming the next bundle.

The reciprocally mounted carriage member, the kicker and the blocking plates, are all operated by pressure-driven piston means providing fast, positive movement. The stacker is adjustable to form signature bundles of varying size simply by presetting the automatic control circuit which is capable of constantly forming bundles of a predetermined amount of signatures or bundles of varying amounts of signatures, depending upon the needs of the user.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a novel stacker for newspapers and other like signatures comprising means forreceiving an incoming signature stream having signatures arranged in overlapping fashion and means for forming a gap in the stream.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel stacker fornewspapers and other like signatures comprising means for receiving an incoming signature stream having signatures arranged in overlapping fashion and means for forming a gap in the stream and further comprising means for forming a bundle comprised of all signatures between adjacent gaps in the stream.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel stacker for newspapers and other like signatures comprised of an infeed section for receiving a signature stream arranged in overlapping fashion, means for counting the signatures as they pass through the infeed section, means for intercepting the stream and restraining signatures on the upstream side of the intercepting means for a predetermined interval of time to produce a gap in the stream, wherein said intercepting means is mounted upon reciprocating carriage means which may be moved in the downstream direction more rapidly than the newspaper stream for removing the intercepting means from the path of the signature stream.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel stacker for newspapers and other like signatures comprised of an infeed section for receiving a signature stream arranged in overlapping fashion, means for counting the signatures as they pass through the infeed section, means for intercepting the stream and restraining signatures on the upstream side of the intercepting means for a predetermined interval of time to produce a gap in the stream, wherein said intercepting means is mounted upon reciprocating carriage means which may be moved in the downstream direction more rapidly than the newspaper stream for removing the intercepting means from the path of the signature stream and further comprising a signature bundle forming section comprised of means for stacking the signatures on the downstream side of the intercepting means and restraining the stacked signatures from moving until the last signature on the downstream side of the intercepting means is delivered to said stacking station, at which time the restraining means is removed from the restraining position and kicker means is activated to rapidly drive the formed bundle out of the signature bundle-forming section.

These as well as other objects of the present invention will become apparent when reading the accompanying description and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a elevational view of a stacker assembly designed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGS. 2a and 2b are side and top views, respectively, showing the gap-forming device of FIG. 1 in greater detail.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the carriage assembly and shovel member shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

FIGS. 4a and 4c are front and side views, respectively, of the reciprocally mounted restraining plates of the bundleforming section included in the stacker of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4b is a view showing the bottom portion of one restraining plate looking in the direction of arrows 4b-4b in' FIG. 4a. 7

FIG. 4d is a view showing a portion of the restraining plate assembly looking in the direction of arrows 4d-4d of FIG. 4a.

The stacker 10 of the present invention is comprised of an infeed section, generally designated by the numeral 11, and which, in turn, is comprised of upper and lower conveyors l2 and 13. The upper conveyor 12 is comprised of a plurality of belts which are entrained about rollers 16, 17 and 18, while lower conveyor 13 is comprised of a plurality of belts 19, entrained about rollers and 21. It can clearly be seen that the belts 15 are aligned diagonally in the region between rollers 16 and 17 so as to form a tapering entrance with belts 19 of lower conveyor 13 for the signatures 22 entering into the infeed section in overlapping fashion, as shown, with the folded edges 22a being the first to enter into the infeed conveyor section.

The entering signatures are counted by counting means 23 pivotally mounted to connecting links 24 which, in turn, are pivotally mounted at their upper ends to a supporting rod 25 so as to make the counter 23 substantially free-floating. A

skid 26 is secured to the bottom of the counter 23 and projects upwardly toward the upstream end of the infeed section, causing the counter to follow the contour of the signatures fed therethrough. The counter is provided with reciprocally mounted pins 27 which protrude through an opening provided on the underside of the counter and which are driven in the clockwise direction by an incremental amount as the forward folded edge of each signature strikes a pin. One suitable counter which may be employed for this purpose is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,l97,l36 issued July 27, 1965.0bviously, however, any other type of mechanical photoelectric or other sensing means may be employed, depending only upon the needs of the user.

The signature stream, after passing between the upper and lower conveyors 12 and 13, continues to move downstream upon conveyor belts 28 which are entrained about rollers 23 and 30. A second roller 31, mounted to rotate upon a common shaft with roller 30, receives another group of conveyor belts 32 which are entrained about roller 31 and a roller 33 positioned downstream relative to roller 3i. Still another group of conveyor belts 34 are entrained about rollers 35 and 36. The rollers 35, which appear to be superimposed with the rollers 33, are in actuality rollers of the same diameter, arranged at spaced intervals along a common shaft 37. A final group of conveyor belts 38 are entrained about rollers 39, 40 and 41. Conveyor belts 38 and 34 act to squeeze the signatures passing therebetween to remove any air captured between or within the signatures before delivering the signature stream tothe bundle-forming section.

The bundle-forming section is comprised of an outfeed conveyor 42 which, in turn, is comprised of conveyor belts 43, entrained about rollers 44, 45, 46 and 47. Rollers 48 and 49 act to maintain the conveyor belts 43 under proper tension.

A reciprocally mounted kicker assembly 50 is comprised of a plurality of upwardly projecting kicker bars (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) arranged in spaced parallel fashion and interspersed between the plurality of belts 43 forming the outfeed conveyor section. The lower end of the kicker bars 51 are rigidly secured to a reciprocating mounting 52 which may be driven in both the ejection and return directions, as shown by arrows S4- and 53, respectively, by means of a piston rod 55 driven out of or pulled into piston cylinder 56 which is rigidly secured at its lower end to a supporting bracket 57 and shaft 58 secured between supporting bracket 57 and a second'supporting bracket 59 acts to control the path along which the kicker bars 51 and carriage 52 move. As shown in FIG. l, the

top end of the kicker bars Si is located slightly below the signature stream passing between the conveyor belts 34 and 38.

As the signatures are emitted from between conveyor belts 38 and 34, they are driven generally downwardly and to the left where they are caused to strike against a pair of reciprocally mounted restraining plates 6i (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) which normally are positioned in the path of signatures as they pass along the conveyor belts 43. The restraining plates are maintained in the restraining or blocked position until the last signature of the bundle is received in the bundle-forming region 63, at which time the restraining plates are moved by air-driven piston means 62 in a manner to be more fully described, out of the path of movement of the bundle. Substantially simultaneously therewith, the piston chamber 56 is operated to rapidly drive the kicker bars 51 in the direction shown by arrow 54 to rapidly move the formed bundle out along the conveyor belts 43 so as to rapidly accelerate the bundle to the speed of the conveyor belt and deliver the formed bundle (containing a predetermined accurate count of signatures) to a subsequent station for wrapping or tying purposes, for example.

Since thesignatures are delivered to the stacking device 10 in an overlapping stream, it is necessary to provide. means for generating a gap at predetermined intervals along the stream such that the number of signatures between each gap so formed constitute the exact amount of signatures desired for each bundle to be formed. This function is performed by the gap-forming assembly 70, shown best in FIGS. ll, 2a and 2b. The gap-forming assembly is comprised of a pair of plates 71 and 72 which are centrally located relative to a second pair of plates 73 and 74 which plates, in turn, are rigidly secured to the framework plates F, F of the stacker frame by fastening means 75.

The plates 73 and 74 rigidly position and support a pair of shafts 76 and 77 which receive locking members 78 for rigidly holding plates 7K and 72 in spaced position by means of spacers 79 embraced between plates 71 and 72 and rigidly held in the central location by the locking members 78.

Each of the plates 71 and 72 are provided with a pair of elongated rectangular-shaped slots 80, shown best in FIG. 2a, which act as a guideway for a carriage assembly 81, shown best in FIGS. ll, 2a, 2b and 3.

The carriage assembly 81 is provided with four free wheeling rollers 82 on each vertical side of the carriage assembly, which rollers engage the upper and lower edges of the slots forming the guideway for the carriage. For example, considering FIG. 2a, the pair of upper rollers 82 slidingly engage the upper edge 80a of the guideway slot 80, while the pair of lower rollers 82 slidably engage the lower edge 80b. The arrangement on the opposite side is substantially identical thereto. The top surface of the carriage assembly 81 is provided with four free wheeling rollers 83, shown best in FlG. 2b, which rollers slidably engage the interior vertically aligned surfaces of plates 71 and 72 so as to restrain the carriage assembly from exhibiting any sidewise movement.

The carriage assembly may be reciprocally driven in the directions shown by arrows 35 and 86, by means of an airor hydraulically-driven piston assembly 84 having a piston rod (not shown) coupled to carriage assembly 81 by means of a fitting 84a. A pair of blocking plates 86 and 87 are rigidly secured between plates '71 and 72 to act as the limiting means for limiting the amount of travel experienced by the carriage assembly 81. Blocking plate 86 has secured thereto a pair of resilient bumper members 88 which are designed to cushion the impact of the carriage assembly as it is rapidly moved in the direction shown by arrow as in a like manner, a pair of resilient bumper members 88a are mounted to the forward end of the carriage assembly 81 on opposite sides thereof, which bumper members cushion the impact of the carriage assembly 81 as it strikes blocking plate 87 in moving in the direction shown by arrow 85.

As shown best in FIGS. 2a, 2b and 3, the carriage assembly 81 is provided with a free wheeling shaft 89 having secured thereto a blocking member or shovel member 90 having an upwardly bent forward end 90a. The shovel member 90 is rigidly secured to shaft 89 by a mounting assembly 91 which, in turn, further secures a link 92 pivotally mounted at 93 to a link 94. The upper end of link 94 is comprised of a piston rod mounted within a piston cylinder 95 supplied with air pressure by means of fittings 96 and 37. By injecting air under pressure into the appropriate fitting the piston rod is driven vertically downward to drive the shovel member 90 from the solid line position to the dotted line position 90'. By injecting air or other high hydraulic means under pressure into the other fitting, the piston rod is driven vertically upward causing the shovel member to be returned from the dotted line position 90' to the solid line position 90. Similar fittings 98 and 99 are provided on cylinder 84 for injecting air or hydraulic fluid under pressure to operate the piston rod coupling carriage assembly 81 to cylinder 84. Thus, by injecting air under pressure into fitting 99, the carriage assembly may be rapidly moved in the direction shown by arrow 86. Similarly, by injecting air under pressure into fitting 98, the carriage assembly, under control of the piston rod, may be rapidly moved in the direction shown by arrow 85. Whereas piston members are shown as being employed as the driving means for moving the reciprocating carriage and for rotating the shovel member, it should be understood that other means may be used if desired. For example, the piston-driven means for the shovel member may be replaced by torque magnetos. Likewise, other means may be employed as a substitute for the air-driven means comprised of cylinder 84.

The operation of the gap forming means is as follows:

Considering FIGS. 1 and 20, it should be noted that the rollers for the conveyor belts 28 are of a larger diameter than the rollers 31 provided for the downstream conveyor belts 32, thereby causing the downstream conveyor belts 32 to be located at a lower horizontal level than the upstream conveyor belts 28. The gap-forming assembly 70, shown in FIG. 2a, is provided with a skid or runner 100 secured to blocking plate 86 at its left-hand end and secured near its right-hand end by supporting brackets 101 to the plates 71 and 72, respectively. The gap 90b between the two portions 90, 90 of the shovel member allows unimpeded movement of the shovel member 90 even though the runner is positioned between the portions 90, 90 when the shovel member is in position 90. This runner and the inclined edges 71a and 72a of plates 71 and 72 respectively, together with the step in the conveyor belts 28 and 32 results in a small bending of the stream of signatures so as to greatly facilitate movement of the shovel member 90 into the intercept position. The arrangement further facilitates retraction of the shovel member after a gap of predetermined length has been formed. It should further be noted that the device of the present invention may also advantageously be employed for conveyors in which the belts 28 and 32 extend in a straightforward fashion without any step being provided therebetween.

When the shovel member 90 is in its uppermost position, as shown in solid line fashion, the incoming signature stream freely passes therebeneath and the guiding runner 100 and edges 71a and 72a act to press the signature stream downwardly toward conveyor belts 32. As soon as a predetermined count has been detected by the signature-counting means 23, shown in FIG. 1, a signal is caused to actuate means (not shown) which forces air or other'fluid under pressure into fitting 96 provided on carriage assembly 81 which drives the piston rod and its lower portion 94 thereof generally downwardly, causing the shovel member 90 to be rotated about shaft 89 under control of the coupling 92 pivotally connected to link portion 94. This moves the forward end 90a of shovel member 90 to the dotted line position which is substantially level with the conveyor belts 28. The forward end 98 causes thenext signature delivered thereto to be caught within a pocket formed by the shovel member 90 (in the position 90') and the guide runner 100 and edges 71a and 72a which also act as" a guide means, thereby retaining the signature caught by the shovel member and braking the next succeeding signature being delivered thereto. The nonintercepted signatures which are located on the downstream end of the shovel member and not caught thereby, continue to be delivered toward the bundle-forming section which operates in a manner to be more fully described.

When a gap of predetermined length has been formed in the signature stream, control means (not shown) cause air under pressure to be directed into fitting 99 causing the piston within cylinder 84 and hence the carriage assembly 81 to be rapidly moved in the direction shown by arrow 86, which is the downstream direction. The acceleration of the carriage assembly is much more rapid than the speed of movement of the signature stream, causing the shovel to be moved from beneath the signatures which it has restrained. As soon as the carriage assembly has moved to the downstream position,

1 shown by dotted lines 81, air under pressure is directed into fitting 97, causing the shovel to move to its solid line position and thereby be lifted well above the newspaper stream. The signatures restrained by the shovel member are then relatively free to pass between the guide runner 100 and edges 71a and 72a and conveyor belts 32 for the purpose of forming the next signature bundle. Once the shovel has been moved to the solid line position where it lies well above the signature stream, air under pressure is directed into fitting 98 operating the piston to drive the carriage assembly 81 back to its original solid line position in readiness for forming the next gap within the newspaper stream. The runner 100 which presses down against any signatures on belt 32 further permits shovel member 90 (when in position 90') to slide rapidly over the signatures on belt 32 as the carriage moves to position 81.

Due to the fact that the engaging end of the shovel member follows a circular path which cuts across the signature stream, the free end of the shovel member moves substantially at right angles to the stream at the point of engagement. This path is somewhat oblique so that the forward end of the shovel will, to a certain degree, follow the stream of newspapers during the engagement movement to thereby facilitate an accurate engagement without damaging the newspapers.

The operation of the bundle-forming section is as follows:

Referring to FIGS. ta-4d and to FIG. 1, the signatures which lie to the downstream side of the shovel member and which are located between two adjacent gaps are passed along conveyor belts 34 until they are squeezed between conveyor belts 34 and 38, causing the signatures to be ejected into the bundle-forming compartment 63. The signatures strike against a pair of reciprocally mounted restraining plates 61 positioned on opposite sides of the conveyor belts 43. FIG. 4a shows one such reciprocally mounted restraining plate positioned, for example on the right-hand side of the outfeed conveyor belts 43. Considering also FIG. 4c,the signatures are ejected so as to causetheir forward folded edges to strike the right-hand surface of the restraining plates 61. For example, see signature 22, whose folded edge rests against the right-hand edge of restraining plate 61. The signatures are continually fed into the bundle-forming section until the last signature lying to the downstream end of the closest adjacent gap formed in the stream is fed into the bundle-forming section. At this time there will be a brief interval of time before thenext signature of the next bundle will be delivered to the bundle-forming section. The completed bundle of signatures is ejected by means of a piston assembly comprised of cylinder which receives air pressure through a fitting 111 causing its piston 113 to be driven in a direction shown by arrow 114. The left-hand end of the piston rod 113 is coupled through a bracket means 115 to the upper end of restraining plate 61 which is secured to the bracket by fasteningmeans 116. The coupling bracket 115 is further guided by a shaft 117 secured between the opposite ends of a mounting bracket 118 to prevent any sidewise or lateral movement transverse to the direction of movement as shown by arrow 114 or arrow 118. The restraining plate is further guided by a bracket assembly 119 mounted near the lower edge of each restraining plate and provided with a slot 120. A pair of rollers 121 and 122 are pivotally mounted on opposite sides of slot and guide the restraining plate therebetween. As shown best in FIG. 4a, the restraining plate is maintained in the blocking position causing the forward folded edges of the signatures 22 to strike up against the pair of restraining plates and momentarily be restrained from any further movement until the last signature of the bundle being formed is delivered into the bundle-forming section. At this time, air under pressure is delivered into fitting 111, causing the piston rod 113 to move abruptly in a direction shown by arrow 114 (see FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4d), thereby driving the restraining plate 61 to the dotted line position 61' (FIG. 4a). Looking at the outfeed conveyor section in the direction shown by arrow 121 of FIG. 1, the restraining plate 61 shown in FIG. 40 would be positioned on the right-hand side of the outfeed conveyor section. Retraction of the restraining plate to the dotted line position 61 permits the formed bundle to be moved outwardly along the conveyor belts 43. In a like manner, the restraining plate (not shown) positioned along the left-hand edge of the conveyor belts 43 would retract in a like manner, moving in the left-hand direction to free the formed bundle.

As soon as this occurs, air is driven under pressure into a suitable fitting provided for cylinder 56 to drive its piston rod 55 and hence the kicker bars 51 in the direction shown by arrow 54. This rapid movement kicks" the formed bundle outwardly along the conveyor belts 43. The rapid acceleration of the kicker bars 51 causes the bundle to be rapidly accelerated to the outfeed speed of the outfeed conveyor belts 43. Since the kicker bars move in a diagonal direction downward and toward the left relative to FIG. 1, the signatures are not lifted above the conveyor belts 43 but are caused to be maintained in engagement therewith. The kicker bars 51 rapidly move the formed bundle beyond the downstream end of the restraining plates, allowing the kicker bars to be rapidly returned to their normal position in readiness for receiving the next bundle. Substantially simultaneously therewith the restraining plates 61 are moved back to their solid line position, shown in figure 4a, by applying air under pressure into fitting 112. The formation of a gap in the signature stream of suitable length provides more than adequate time for removing the restraining plates from the path of movement of an ejected bundle, for moving the kicker bars to eject the bundle and for returning the kicker bars and the restraining plates to their normal position in readiness for forming the next bundle.

it can be seen from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a novel device for stacking newspapers and other like signatures, which arrangement is simple in design and yet is capable of handling and stacking signatures directed to the stacking device at rates of over 40,000 per hour and for forming bundles having an accurate count. If desired, programming means may be provided for forming succeeding bundles of differing quantities or for forming bundles of constant quantities wherein the constant amount per bundle may likewise be varied.

Although there has been described a preferred embodiment of this novel invention, many variations and modifications will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this invention is to be limited, not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appending claims.

lclaim:

l. A device for stacking newspapers and other like signatures delivered to the device in an overlapping stream comprising:

an infeed conveyor section for receiving the incoming signature stream, means positioned immediately above the signature stream moving along said conveyor section for forming a gap in said stream;

said gap-forming means comprising a pivotally mounted shovel member;

guide means positioned on opposite sides of said shovel member;

first means for rotating said pivotally mounted shovel member in a first direction into said signature stream forming a pocket between said shovel member and said guide means to momentarily restrain signatures positioned on the upstream side of said shovel member from moving past said shovel member;

a reciprocally mounted carriage;

said pivotally mounted shovel member being mounted upon said reciprocally mounted carriage;

means for rapidly moving said carriage in linear fashion in the downstream direction faster than the normal speed of said signature stream, after interception of said signature stream by said shovel member, for moving said shovel member in the downstream direction faster than the normal speed of movement of the signature stream; and

second means for rotating said shovel member in a second direction opposite said first direction and out of the path of said signature stream, after the downstream movement of said carriage, to allow passage of the signatures momentarily restrained by said shovel member toward a bundle-forming station.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising means for rapidly moving said carriage in linear fashion toward the upstream direction, after rotation of the shovel member in said second direction, in readiness for forming the next gap in said signature stream.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising counting means positioned on the upstream side of said shovel member for counting incoming signatures and including means for operating said first and second rotating means and said carriage moving means in proper sequence after a predetermined count is achieved.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said infeed conveyor section is comprised of an upstream and a downstream conveyor portion, the height of the upstream conveyor portion being higher than the height of said downstream conveyor portion to form a step at their juncture; said guide means being diagonally aligned above the step in said conveyor portions to cause a slight bending in the signature stream at the location of said step and thereby facilitate interception of the signature stream by said shovel member.

5. The device of claim 1 further comprising an outfeed conveyor section:

a pair of reciprocally mounted restraining plates normally positioned to block signatures delivered to said outfeed conveyor section;

means for moving said restraining plates away from one another and out of the path of movement of a formed bundle for unblocking the formed bundle and thereby enabling the formed bundle to be ejected from the bundle-forming section;

kicker means positioned on the upstream side of said restraining plates a predetermined distance from said plates to form a pocket for receiving signatures delivered to said bundle-forming section; and

means for rapidly moving said kicker means in the downstream direction to rapidly eject a formed bundle of signatures from said bundle-forming section after said restraining plates have been moved to the unblocked position.

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising means for rapidly moving said kicker means back to the upstream position in readiness for forming the next signature bundle.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein said guide means are arranged so that their upstream ends are located a predetermined distance further upstream than said shovel member and said guide means extend diagonally downwardly in the downstream direction to a position where they lie in close proximity to the infeed conveyor section upon which the signature stream is moving, said position being a predetermined distance away from said shovel member and toward the downstream side thereof.

8. Means for forming gaps in a stream of signatures arranged in overlapping fashion comprising:

conveyor means for supporting said signature stream and moving the stream in a first direction;

a reciprocally mounted carriage assembly positioned above the signature stream; and

a shovel member pivotally mounted upon said carriage assembly, and means for rotating said pivotally mounted shovel member from a first position above said stream to a second position intercepting said stream for momentarily preventing the movement of signatures positioned to the upstream side of the shovel member thereby forming a gap in the overlapping signature stream.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising means for linearly moving said reciprocally mounted carriage assembly from an upstream position to a downstream position, when said shovel member is in said second position, said linear position; and means for linearly moving said reciprocally mounted carriage assembly from said downstream position to said upstream position after said shovel member is returned to its' first position. 

